HUNT 48 Limitless Aero Disc Wheelset

HUNT's award-winning, wind-tunnel developed road race wheelset. Proven with Grand Tour stage victory and made possible through patended LIMITLESS width technology. The world's fasted disc brake wheels up to (and including) 50mm.

LIMITLESS technology provides the aero benefits equal to those of significantly deeper wheel profiles, while maintaining the crosswind stability and predictability expected of much shallower profiles.

Tire size: Aero optimized for 28 to 30mm tires; work well with 25mm up to 45mm.

CYCLINGTIPS REVIEW

"Super stable, reliable, fast, and with open tire compatibility, the Limitless 48 Aero Disc wheels have plenty to offer without asking a huge price in return."

$1,439.83 $2,149.00
33% off
Limited Stock. Available Now.
CeramicSpeed Bearings - Limited Stock ($1,439.83)Items are selected to ship from us in the week stated. Delivery time is 2-6 days*

We will ask for Axle info after checkout.

All import duties, taxes and handling costs are covered by us.

Order ETA 3-6 days*
Our wheels are in high demand, don't miss out. Order now.

*If shown in stock

H_CARE

FREE LIFETIME CRASH REPLACEMENT

To ensure you're not out of pocket should the worst happen. Learn more.

The world's fastest disc-brake wheels up to (and including) 50mm.

48 DEEP | 35 WIDE EXT | 22.5 WIDE INT | 1618G | CeramicSpeed

The Purpose

The ultimate aerodynamic wheelset. Designed by HUNT's in-house engineering team to meet the needs of the modern rider, at the speeds they ride at. We ride at a range of wind yaw angles far greater than previously considered, and so HUNT Limitless is able to deliver aerodynamic supremacy across a wide range of riding and at real-world speeds.

Wind tunnel proven against world leading wheels. See the research white paper for full technical details of our wind tunnel testing methodology, including data/graphs and the full range of wheels we tested against.

Hunt Aerodynamicist Logo
HUNT LIMITLESS technology allows for low weight and extra-wide aerodynamics.

H_CARE Logo

Includes FREE H_Care lifetime crash replacement for the first owners of these wheels. Read all about it here.


WIDER TIRES & WIDER WHEELS | RIDE FASTER

Leading rim-brake wheels have been at the 27-28mm wide mark for some time, with undisputed aero benefits over narrower designs. However, they are aerodynamically limited by rim brake calipers limiting the maximum width of the brake track. Further, most are optimised for narrower tires. 23mm tires used to be the standard… but for us, you and most pro riders, 25/28 and even 30mm tires are the preferred choice. Let’s face it: when leaning in on the final turn of a mass bunch sprint or descending sweeping alpine bends, you want serious grip! Plus, the lower rolling resistance benefits of 25 and 28mm tires* mean that road disc aero wheels should be specifically designed around these wider tires. Accordingly, this wheelset has been designed using schematics and feedback from Schwalbe's own engineers.
(*Especially rider-system benefits, wheel & tire only tests do not include rider damped losses, and how lower pressures reduce these losses by reducing rider movement. This is a whole other area we will be releasing scientific data on.)


Read More

HOW WIDE? 34.5mm!

In the last 9 months, road aero disc-brake rim widths have been creeping out to 30-32mm, with several leading wheel and bike companies realizing the benefits of having a rim wider than the tire (even a 28mm tire). This creates the most effective overall aerofoil shape (when considering the wheel and tire together) and reduces turbulence as airflow transitions into the spoke bed. It is now obvious that disc-brake road rims need to be significantly wider to be at their best aerodynamically. With our experience at HUNT, we knew disc brakes provided us a huge opportunity to smash open this area of wheel development. In autumn 2017, a full year before anyone knew about any other wheel companies’ 30mm+ development, we set about unleashing wheel widths, and HUNT's in-house engineering team designed several 3D-printed prototypes for wind tunnel testing. We worked closely with Europe’s leading bicycle wind tunnel, and over 18 months of painstaking research, design and multiple wind tunnel visits, developed the 34.5mm wide shape for the new 48 Limitless Aero Disc.

WIDE RIM = WEIGHT OR TIRE PROBLEM?

The aero benefits of going wide, can come with downsides, as usually a compromise choice has to be made:

- Go for a wider internal rim of 24 or 25mm = LOSE TIRE COMPATABILITY with 23/25mm tires from leading brands.

- Choose to add extra carbon material to thicken the sidewalls, in order to maintain the wide aero shape = HEAVY RIM WEIGHT

THE SOLUTION | HUNT LIMITLESS TECHNOLOGY

The HUNT 48 Limitless Aero Disc rim has as much carbon-fibre material and mass as any other comparable road disc wheelset, and far surpasses ISO impact testing. Added to the sidewall area is an extra-strengthening co-molded low density polymer (density only 0.7g/cm3 vs carbon fibre prepreg of 1.6g/cm3) that keeps the weight low whilst allowing the extra width. LIMITLESS is a patent owned by HUNT and developed by HUNT's in-house engineering team, Tom and Pete, and is exclusive to HUNT wheels. So, you can have a wheelset with the world’s fastest aero shape but also impressively low weight.

THE RESULTS…

The wind tunnel data we recorded is shown against the full range of incumbent world-class aero wheels in the charts below. The results speak for themselves. It’s been hard work but it’s been very worthwhile. This process and the knowledge gained from pushing the boundaries of aero wheel development creates huge opportunities to serve you with a wide range of world leading aerodynamic wheels…this is just the beginning! Thank you.

THE DATA

Read the full research white paper showing all technical wind-tunnel testing method details, extensive wind tunnel data and the full range of wheels we tested.

The Mavic WAD calculation is based around Time Trial speeds (45 km/h), we used this as an industry standard to show an unequivocal comparison. Our own road speed (35 km/h) simulations show the extra width of the LIMITLESS wheels provide even greater aerodynamic gains at the wider wind yaw angles that real road riders experience. Please see research white paper for more details.

8.4 Fourth wind tunnel test

The Enve Ses AR 3.4 Disc wheelset - In order to complete the test in a timely manner the tests were carried with the front wheels only, mounted on a single wheel turntable and roller, with no bike. Note that the total drag and power values are lower without the presence of a bike.

Aerodynamicist Logo

Figure 17 Drag [g] vs yaw angle [°] from third wind tunnel test in showing HUNT 48 LIMITLESS AERO DISC against Enve SES AR3.4, using a variety of tires.

Read Less

The Purpose

The ultimate aerodynamic wheelset. Designed specifically to meet the needs of the modern rider, at the speeds they ride at. We ride at a range of wind yaw angles far greater than previously considered, and so HUNT Limitless is able to deliver aerodynamic supremacy across a wide range of riding and at real-world speeds.

Wind tunnel proven against world leading wheels. See the research white paper for full technical details of our wind tunnel testing methodology, including data/graphs and the full range of wheels we tested against.

Hunt Aerodynamicist Logo
HUNT LIMITLESS technology allows for low weight and extra-wide aerodynamics.

H_CARE Logo

Includes FREE H_Care lifetime crash replacement for the first owners of these wheels. Read all about it here.


WIDER TIRES & WIDER WHEELS | RIDE FASTER

Leading rim-brake wheels have been at the 27-28mm wide mark for some time, with undisputed aero benefits over narrower designs. However, they are aerodynamically limited by rim brake calipers limiting the maximum width of the brake track. Further, most are optimised for narrower tires. 23mm tires used to be the standard… but for us, you and most pro riders, 25/28 and even 30mm tires are the preferred choice. Let’s face it: when leaning in on the final turn of a mass bunch sprint or descending sweeping alpine bends, you want serious grip! Plus, the lower rolling resistance benefits of 25 and 28mm tires* mean that road disc aero wheels should be specifically designed around these wider tires. Accordingly, this wheelset has been designed using schematics and feedback from Schwalbe's own engineers.
(*Especially rider-system benefits, wheel & tire only tests do not include rider damped losses, and how lower pressures reduce these losses by reducing rider movement. This is a whole other area we will be releasing scientific data on.)


Read More

HOW WIDE? 34.5mm!

In the last 9 months, road aero disc-brake rim widths have been creeping out to 30-32mm, with several leading wheel and bike companies realizing the benefits of having a rim wider than the tire (even a 28mm tire). This creates the most effective overall aerofoil shape (when considering the wheel and tire together) and reduces turbulence as airflow transitions into the spoke bed. It is now obvious that disc-brake road rims need to be significantly wider to be at their best aerodynamically. With our experience at HUNT, we knew disc brakes provided us a huge opportunity to smash open this area of wheel development. In autumn 2017, a full year before anyone knew about any other wheel companies’ 30mm+ development, we set about unleashing wheel widths, and HUNT's in-house engineering team designed several 3D-printed prototypes for wind tunnel testing. We worked closely with Europe’s leading bicycle wind tunnel, and over 18 months of painstaking research, design and multiple wind tunnel visits, developed the 34.5mm wide shape for the new 48 Limitless Aero Disc.

WIDE RIM = WEIGHT OR TIRE PROBLEM?

The aero benefits of going wide, can come with downsides, as usually a compromise choice has to be made:

- Go for a wider internal rim of 24 or 25mm = LOSE TIRE COMPATABILITY with 23/25mm tires from leading brands.

- Choose to add extra carbon material to thicken the sidewalls, in order to maintain the wide aero shape = HEAVY RIM WEIGHT

THE SOLUTION | HUNT LIMITLESS TECHNOLOGY

The HUNT 48 Limitless Aero Disc rim has as much carbon-fibre material and mass as any other comparable road disc wheelset, and far surpasses ISO impact testing. Added to the sidewall area is an extra-strengthening co-molded low density polymer (density only 0.7g/cm3 vs carbon fibre prepreg of 1.6g/cm3) that keeps the weight low whilst allowing the extra width. LIMITLESS is a patent owned by HUNT and developed by HUNT's in-house engineering team, Tom and Pete, and is exclusive to HUNT wheels. So, you can have a wheelset with the world’s fastest aero shape but also impressively low weight.

THE RESULTS…

The wind tunnel data we recorded is shown against the full range of incumbent world-class aero wheels in the charts below. The results speak for themselves. It’s been hard work but it’s been very worthwhile. This process and the knowledge gained from pushing the boundaries of aero wheel development creates huge opportunities to serve you with a wide range of world leading aerodynamic wheels…this is just the beginning! Thank you.

THE DATA

Read the full research white paper showing all technical wind-tunnel testing method details, extensive wind tunnel data and the full range of wheels we tested.

The Mavic WAD calculation is based around Time Trial speeds (45 km/h), we used this as an industry standard to show an unequivocal comparison. Our own road speed (35 km/h) simulations show the extra width of the LIMITLESS wheels provide even greater aerodynamic gains at the wider wind yaw angles that real road riders experience. Please see research white paper for more details.

8.4 Fourth wind tunnel test

The Enve Ses AR 3.4 Disc wheelset - In order to complete the test in a timely manner the tests were carried with the front wheels only, mounted on a single wheel turntable and roller, with no bike. Note that the total drag and power values are lower without the presence of a bike.

Figure 17 Drag [g] vs yaw angle [°] from third wind tunnel test in April 2019 showing HUNT 48 LIMITLESS AERO DISC against Enve SES AR3.4, using a variety of tires.

Read Less

Key Features

THE FASTEST WHEELSET IS THE SUM OF THE FASTEST PARTS

We've poured over every last detail to ensure each component making up the 48 Limitless Aero Disc, is absolutely the fastest of all options...

    • LIMITLESS Rims | 700c Wind tunnel developed, features disc-specific, unidirectional T24/30 rims, offering 22.5mm internal and 35mm external widths, and a 48mm u-shape aero profile.
    • Tires | Aerodynamically optimised for wider 25-28c tires. Tubeless-ready for lower weight and rolling resistance, featuring H-Lock technology for easy and secure tubeless installation. As with all our current HUNT rims, the LIMITLESS wheels have a normal hooked sidewall and are suitable for all clincher road tires including Continental.
    • Hubs | New Sprint SL straight-pull hubs. 15mm diameter 6066-T6 body and axle for supreme strength-to-weight. Circular dropout interface steps for added security in fitment. 3x treble-tooth pawls, resulting in just 7.5˚ engagement. Steel spline inserts to protect the cassette body. Center-lock brake mount. Please note: If you require a 6 bolt adaptor you can purchase separately here
    • CeramicSpeed Bearings | CeramicSpeed clearly need little introduction. We were honoured when they approached us last year to work together for the LIMITLESS project. As you know, CeramicSpeed bearings are renowned for their low rolling resistance, and are chosen by the top international athletes and teams.
    • Elliptical Wing Spokes | Pillar Wing 20 spokes with aerofoil profile. Tested and proven to provide aerodynamic advantage over flat or bladed options both from Pillar and other competitors.
    • Axles | Easily adaptable & we fit them for you. Fit all current axle sizes and are easy to change. Click here to see all axle sizes.
    • Hand-built | All of our wheels are built and finished by hand, inclusive of a full quality control inspection.
    • Included | Tubeless tape & valves, spare spokes, axle adapters (please fill in the simple form after checkout to select your required size)
    • Weight | 1618g
    • See the full specs here

The Experts' View

Roadcc Editors Choice LogoCycling Weekly LogoBikeradar LogoGCN LogoRoadcc Logocyclingtips LogoBikerumor Logo 220 Triathlon Logo

Full Specs

  • Rims

    • Wind tunnel tested, aerodynamically optimised for 25-28c tires
    • Disc-specific tubeless-ready profile
    • H-lock bead-seat up-kicks for easy and secure tubeless installation
    • Unidirectional T24/30 carbon fibre with 3K weave re-enforced spoke holes
    • 35mm outer and 22.5mm inner width
    • 48mm depth
    • Hooked
    • Matt black base finished with matt white contrasting graphics.
  • Spokes

    • Pillar Wing 20 with Aerofoil profile
    • 20 front and 24 rear laced 2 cross.
    • Aero Butted 2.0-2.2/0.95-2.0 then PSR section is 2.2.
    • Straight-pull for excellent torsional strength and direct power transfer
    • Cold drawn from high grade T302 (18/10) stainless steel wire by Sandvik Sweden
    • Patented Pillar Spoke Re-enforcement, butted again just before the spoke head providing more durability in high stress area.
    • Black stainless treatment
  • Nipples

    • Alloy square body for external adjustment and square head for easy internal adjustment/tensioning.
    • 16mm length with washer for a strong connection to the spoke added durability.
    • 14 gauge.
    • Black anodized finish.
  • Tires Info


    • Fully compliant with new ETRTO tubeless road guidelines (yet to be released) for 23/25/28mm+ road tires. As with all our current HUNT rims, the LIMITLESS wheels have a normal hooked sidewall and are suitable for all clincher road tires including Continental.
    • Maximum tire pressure for this rim is 100psi when used with 25-28mm tires. 100 psi is more than enough for any rider on road. Click here to listen to a podcast exploring the science of why lower pressures were found to be faster by pro teams.
    • Maximum tire pressures for other tire sizes: 30mm - 32mm do not exceed 70psi, 33mm do not exceed 50psi, 35-45mm do not exceed 45psi, 45-50mm do not exceed 40psi.
    • Please do not exceed the maximum pressure stated on your tire.
    • Suitable for tires from 23mm up to 50mm wide.
    • Suitable tubeless road, gravel and CX tires are available from a huge range of brands.
  • Axle Sizes

    These wheels are available with all existing disc brake road bike axle adapter sizes. We fit the axles you need, just complete the simple form shown after checkout:

    • Front: 12x100mm Thru-Axle, 9x100mm Thru-Axle, Quick Release 9x100mm
    • Rear: 12x142mm Thru-Axle, 12x135mm Thru-Axle, 10x135mm Thru-Axle, Quick Release 9x135mm

    If you are unsure what size your axles are don't worry it also includes the option to tell us your bike model and we will find out and then fit the correct axles, plus we're happy to change them later at our cost if you don't quite get it right. Please note; this form is shown after you have completed your order.

  • Front Hub

    • Forged and CNC’d 6061-T6 heat treated aluminium alloy body.
    • 7075-T6 aluminium alloy axles.
    • Center-lock disc mount. If you require a 6 bolt adaptor you can purchase separately here
    • Polished anodized black finish with laser graphics.
    • Hunt Race Season Disc straight-pull super-light alloy.
  • Rear Hub

    • 6066-T6 heat-treated aluminum alloy freehub body.
    • Steel Spline Insert freehub body reinforcement provides excellent durability against cassette sprocket damage to the freehub often seen on standard alloy freehub bodies.
    • 3x treble-tooth individually leaf sprung pawls with 48 teeth on the ratchet ring for fast 7.5 degree engagement and instant acceleration.
    • All freehub standards accounted for.
      • Hunt Race Season Disc straight-pull super-light alloy.
      • Forged and CNC’d 6061-T6 heat treated aluminium alloy body.
      • 7075-T6 aluminium alloy axles.
      • Center-lock disc mount. If you require a 6 bolt adaptor you can purchase separately here
      • Polished anodized black finish with laser graphics.
  • Bearings

    • Industry leading CeramicSpeed hybrid ceramic bearings
    • 3 to 5 times longer lasting than other ceramic bearings on the market and 10 times more than standard steel bearings.
    • CeramicSpeed bearing balls are of the highest quality Grade 3 Silicon Nitride, featuring the highest achievable surface finish and roundness. 15% harder, take 99% higher loads and are more than 100% smoother than other ceramic balls typically seen in the market. The smoothness and the hardness of the CeramicSpeed Balls are unique.
    • 4 year warranty (When registered with CeramicSpeed)
  • Warranty, HUNT Rolling Road Tests & Weight Limits

    These wheels come with H_CARE (Free Lifetime Crash Replacement) for the first owners. Read all about it here.

    A full 3 years (4 years on CeramicSpeed bearings*) from purchase date warranty is offered to the original purchaser only on all HUNT wheels against material or workmanship defects, please click here to read full details. *Must be registered with CeramicSpeed

    All HUNT wheels models have to pass our harsh cobbled-rolling-road tests for rider weight limits, please see here for more details. Max system weight 273lbs (system weight – total weight of fully kitted up rider, bike and luggage). If a rider is over 233lbs then an experienced bike mechanic should check the wheel regularly and it is advisable to use tires at max 90psi as this will reduce the fatigue on the wheelset. We are cyclists ourselves and do of course go above and beyond to offer excellent service if you ever do experience any issues. We carry full spares at very reasonable prices and offer complete support.

    60 Day Ride & Return Period. We are certain you'll be impressed by the acceleration, low-weight, speed and durability of our wheels. We are cyclists and as such strive to offer class leading service and support. Buy with confidence, if for any reason you wish to return the wheels for a full refund of your order you can do so up to a full 60 days after you receive them whether they have been ridden or not. Please note we cannot offer refunds on wheels that have suffered from crash damage but do offer H_CARE (Free Lifetime Crash Replacement) on these wheels.

    Reviews

    Bike Magazine and Website Experts' Views

    RoadCC Editors Choice Logo

    "Road CC Editor's Choice"

    "Hunt says its 48 Limitless Aero Disc wheels are the fastest disc brake-compatible road wheels up to and including 50mm deep, thanks to its patented Limitless technology. Going wide is the key apparently, and going by the way they perform out in the real world, Hunt could really be on to something. These wheels are quick!".

    Cyclingtips

    "HUNT Limitless 48 Aero Disc Review: Wide and Stable"

    "Super stable, reliable, fast, and with open tire compatibility, the Limitless 48 Aero Disc wheels have plenty to offer without asking a huge price in return."

    220 Triathlon Logo

    220 Triathlon 91% Review

    On the road, these hoops lived up to their name, feeling markedly faster than our older Specialized Roval C38 discs. They roll remarkably well at 40km/h and beyond, needing what felt like less power to hold those speeds when compared to similar wheelsets we’ve tested.

    In the Box

    Contents

    • HUNT Black Shield tubeless rim tape fitted to wheels.
    • The axle adapters needed for your bike, just fill in the simple form shown after order completion, the form is also included in your order confirmation page.
    • Cassette spacer for 8/9/10 speed
    • Tubeless Valves
    • Spare of each spoke plus nipples
    • Quality control card signed by your wheel builder

    HIGH SPECIFICATION COMPONENTS _

    Patented Limitless Technology

    In order to create the most aerodynamic & stable shape for the tire, a rim bed of 22.5mm is needed. With the tire profile this creates, the ideal shape of the rim curves out to an external width of 34mm. To overcome the weight penalty associated with this, we use a (non-structural) low density expanding polymer insert, inside a channel carved out during the production process.

    Patented Limitless Technology

    This is bonded to the carbon during the curing process, resulting in a uniform and strong bond. The density of carbon is 1.6g per cubic centimetre, whereas the polymer insert weighs just 0.7g per cubic centimetre, resulting in a (rotational) mass loss of just over 50g per rim. This patented technology enables us to consider the limits of material properties, and smash right past them.

    Wing Spokes

    After considerable testing across multiple spoke types (including analysis against competitor spokes), we found that the aerofoil profile of Pillar's Wing 20 spokes offer even further aerodynamic advantages over flat/bladed options.

    Nipples

    Despite designing a wheelset with aerodynamic supremacy in mind, serviceability and usability has always been a core philosophy of how we put wheels together. External spoke nipples are absolutely the right choice with this in mind, especially when running tubeless tires as you would have to remove the tubeless tape to access the nipples were they to be internal

    CeramicSpeed Bearings

    The 48 Limitless Aero Disc will come fully equipped with CeramicSpeed's industry-leading hybrid ceramic bearings, even in the freehub body. All CeramicSpeed Balls are of the highest quality Grade 3 Silicon Nitride, featuring the highest achievable surface finish and roundness. The quality of the balls is what determines the performance and lifetime of a bearing. The CeramicSpeed Balls feature unparalleled impact strength, smoothness, roundness and brittleness.

    Freehub body

    Featuring 3 multi-point pawls with 3 teeth each and a 48t ratchet ring. The result an impressively low 7.5 deg engagement angle. Durability is a theme for HUNT, and so all our freehub bodies have Steel Spline Insert re-enforcements to provide excellent durability against cassette sprocket damage often seen on standard alloy freehub bodies. Includes 2 CeramicSpeed bearings in the body.

    We've got your back

    Rider Experience Support

    Unmatched rider support, 7 days a week. For quick and immediate access to all the help you need, try our Live Chat. Our team consists of real bike riders who are fully equipped to answer any questions and help out. See Contact Us page for more details.

    Spares Available

    Any spares for our wheelsets can be found on our website. If you assistance, contact us and we can help you.

    Next Day Shipping

    As enthusiastic cyclists, we know you want your bike gear so we make sure all in-stock items are packed and dispatched within 1 working day.* As soon as your order is dispatched you’ll receive an email notification.

    *Subject to stock levels & cleared payment

    60 Day Ride and Return

    These wheels come with H_CARE (Free Lifetime Crash Replacement) for the first owners. A full 3 years (4 years on CeramicSpeed bearings*) from purchase date warranty is offered to the original purchaser only on all HUNT wheels against material or workmanship defects. Read more here.

    ABOUT HUNT _

    Hunt Bike Wheels are a team of talented, passionate riders with a wealth of industry experience, and set out to bring you the latest, most practical, forward-thinking technology in all things round.

    Our mission is to serve devoted riders with the highest performing products, backed by best-in-class rider support.

    All of our wheels are built and finished by hand, inclusive of a full quality control inspection.